Slice of Heaven
by Irish Rose1
Summary: Clark and Lois spend their first Christmas together as an engaged couple. 1 of 3.


As Christmases went, Lois couldn't remember when she'd had a nicer holiday.

They'd always been hit or miss after her mother died because there was never any guarantee that the General would be home. More often than not he wasn't, because he was usually out on maneuvers somewhere and she would be sent to stay with her father's parents or her mother's.

Her grandparents were wonderful to her and would always do their best to give her a happy Christmas, but the older Lois got, the more she began to resent her father for being away when she really wanted him home.

Logically, she knew that he didn't have any say in the matter and even as upset as she would be with him for leaving her with virtual strangers, not their fault either, she kept her unhappiness to herself.

But that Christmas Eve he was at the farm.

In fact, he'd shown up a half hour earlier than she, Clark and his mother had expected. And not only that, but he was in civvies.

When she opened the front door, Lois tried to contain her surprise at his casual attire; well, casual for the General anyway. He was standing on the porch bundled up in an overcoat and it wasn't the usual olive drab she was accustomed to.

And when he stepped inside the house and she took his coat, he was dressed in a business suit and she couldn't believe it.

'_What's with the civvies?' She'd asked him as she hung up his coat._

'_I'm off duty, Lo.' He'd raised an eyebrow at her. 'I would have thought that would be fairly obvious.'_

_She'd given him a pointed look and he'd chuckled. 'Dad, you're _never_ off duty.'_

'_Ordinarily I'd agree with you. But I thought that tonight I should just be your dad and not the General.' He'd patted her cheek and Lois was stunned. 'I missed too many Christmases with you and Lucy and it's something I'll always regret. I don't want any more regrets, Lo.'_

'_Me either.' She'd admitted before she'd pushed herself up on her toes and kissed his cheek. 'Merry Christmas, Daddy.'_

'_The same to you.' He'd squeezed her hand and then followed her through the living room and into the kitchen._

Mrs. Kent put him to work, at his request and he literally rolled up his sleeves to help the threesome put the finishing touches on the meal. Lois stood back and watched as he chatted amiably with Clark's mother while he sliced tomatoes for the green salad.

She couldn't remember ever seeing him so relaxed and Lois wondered if it was just an anomaly because of the time of year.

"It's a good thing for us that our parents get along, isn't it?" Clark's low voice was near her ear. "Seeing as how they're going to be related after we get married."

_He likes saying that. _Lois observed silently, _because he says it often enough._

"And don't think I don't feel sorry for your mother." She sighed and then smiled a moment later when she felt his arms curl around her waist, pulling her back against him.

"Don't feel sorry for my mother Lois." The warmth of his breath brushed against her skin and made her shiver. "She loves you and as soon as we set a date, she'll be getting the daughter she always wanted."

"It goes both ways, you know." She put her head back on his shoulder. "Once we say 'I do', Dad will be getting the son _he_ always wanted."

"It's a win-win situation all the way around then." He laughed softly. "We get each other and our parents get more children."

"Without the muss and fuss of raising them." She shook her head ruefully.

"That'll be _our_ job when the time comes." He reminded her with a whisper. "Think you can handle it?"

"Please, Smallville." Lois smiled. "You'll be changing the diapers, so that question _should _apply to you."

"Martha, we really need to figure out a way to keep those two separated." The humorous tone of her father's voice caught Lois' attention and she glared at him because he looked far too amused for her liking. "They're like two magnets that keep getting drawn together."

"I don't think that's possible, Sam." She winked at Lois. "Considering that they were like the opposite sides of those magnets for so long and kept pushing each other away."

"Good point." He agreed.

"We're just about ready, so Clark, why don't you check on the fire for me while Lois sets the table." Mrs. Kent requested. "Chloe, Jimmy and Oliver will be here soon and I'd rather not be in the kitchen when they arrive."

"Sure Mom." Clark kissed Lois' cheek and let her go.

As he walked away from her and headed to the living room, Lois openly appraised her fiancé. His mother had left it up to her to pick was Clark was going to wear for dinner and she was rather pleased with herself at the result. Who knew that an updated and upgraded wardrobe, would make such a difference with how he looked?

His choice of clothing had become downright predictable before he began working at the _Planet_, choosing to alternate between a blue tee shirt and red jacket or a red tee shirt and blue jacket. Though she had to reluctantly admit to having a preference for the red tee shirt and blue jacket because it was what he'd been wearing when he came to check on her after she and Ollie had broken up for good.

Rocky Road ice cream hadn't been able to dull the pain of their final parting, but the feel of Clark's loose embrace and how his arms held her close as he stroked her back in a gentle motion, had. He'd shown her friendship and compassion that night and when she'd looked back at it months later, she knew it was then that her feelings for him began to change.

And there he was that Christmas Eve, dressed in a purple shirt and black pants. The dark purple tie was loose, but complemented the outfit and he'd rolled up the sleeves of the shirt for a more casual look.

Not having had the chance to see her son in a shirt and tie until then, Mrs. Kent was teary eyed as he'd walked into the kitchen earlier that evening. _'My little boy is all grown up.' _

He seemed to sense that she was watching him because he glanced over his shoulder with a smile and his cheeks were flushed. Without breaking his stride, he turned back around to continue into the living room and move the fire screen aside.

"Honey, the table?" Mrs. Kent's voice bubbled with amusement and Lois turned, her own face warm with embarrassment. "And then when you finish with that, if you'd light the candles for me, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Kent." Lois gave her a short nod and walked to the dining room.

As was family tradition, a family she would truly soon be a part of, the Irish lace tablecloth that had belonged to Mr. Kent's mother was already covering the table. Her china, sterling silver place settings and crystal glasses were set in the middle of the table waiting to be laid out.

Lois had the last glass placed when she reached for the box of matches to light the candles and they suddenly lit themselves. She turned toward the source of heat she'd felt to see Clark standing nearby and frowned as she admonished him quietly. "You _do_ realize that the General is in the kitchen."

"He and Mom are in the living room having some coffee." The shake of his head told her different. "Dinner is just about ready and the others won't be here for another twenty minutes. So she sent me in here to help you finish up."

"The place settings would have been the better choice Smallville." She huffed. "What if Dad had seen that little stunt of yours?"

"Lois, I'm not a complete idiot." He rolled his eyes and answered her just as quietly. "I wouldn't have done that if your dad were in the next room."

"You're just showing off again." She felt her face warm and sighed quietly.

"Are you impressed?" He chuckled softly, not seeming to realize how easily he could have been caught and it really irritated her.

"You don't get it do you?" She turned away from him and fiddled with the cloth napkins before she felt his hands on her shoulders.

"Of course I get it Lois." It was his turn to sigh. "So maybe we should tell him, _every_thing."

_He couldn't be serious. _

She shrugged his hands away and turned to face him. "Have you completely lost your mind? This is the _General_ we're talking about."

"But he _is_ going to be my father in law. And it seems only right that he know what his daughter is getting herself into."

"This isn't something you should decide on the spur of the moment." Lois put her hands on his chest to emphasis her concern.

"Honey, it's _not_ spur of the moment." He tried to reassure her. "It's been something I've been thinking about since we came back from Washington. The fact is, the longer we were dating and knowing how serious it was getting, I knew there was going to come a time when your dad would have to know.

"So I talked to Mom about it and she said that if you had any objections, I needed to take that into consideration."

"This means that you'll have to tell him about the Red Blue Blur." Lois looked him in the eye. "Are you ready to do that? Are you prepared to tell him that you're the one who's been running around Metropolis saving people?"

"If I don't, how are we going to explain it when I have to leave in the middle of dinner? Or I'm late for lunch? It's not fair to you or to Mom to have to cover my tracks when I have to duck out."

"But Dad doesn't know you the way we do." She implored him.

"He knows I love you Lois and I think that'll be enough." He laid his hands over hers and grasped them tightly. "You just have to trust him that he'll accept it."

_Oh, no. _

"You're not going to do it tonight, are you?" A flash of fear went through her even as Clark shook his head to calm her.

"Not if you don't want me to, but I really think we should tell him before we get married." He was persistent. "He's going to be part of our family Lois, and families don't keep secrets."

"I know." She nodded because he was right, and she knew he was right. She just didn't know exactly how her father would take the idea of his daughter marrying someone who'd been born on another planet.

"Thank you for doing this for me Lois." The unexpected sound of Mrs. Kent's voice startled her because Lois hadn't heard her walk in from the kitchen. "You two look awfully serious."

"We were discussing something that can wait until after Christmas." Clark's steady gaze held hers and she felt her eyes begin to tear. _Crap._

"Then come out to the living room before the kids get here." Lois saw Clark's mother glance at her and then at her son. "Sam's going to think he's been deserted."

"We'll be there in a minute Mom."

"Thirty seconds would be better." She put a hand on his arm.

"Thirty seconds." He promised his mother with a smile and then she walked away. He turned his attention back to Lois, who by then was desperately trying not to cry. "Lois, it's going to be all right. I know you're worried about what he might say, but I trust him."

"Smallville, you trust _every_body." She shook her head and Clark gathered her against his chest, dropping a gentle kiss on her hair.

"And that's not necessarily a bad thing." He countered and she felt the reassuring feel of his touch as he stroked her back gently. "I know you're afraid of what he might say because you know him better than I do, but I know how much he loves you and wants your happiness. Even if it's with a guy from a different planet."

_Were they doing the right thing? _She sighed in resignation.

"If it's that important to you, I'll back you up all the way." Lois finally conceded as she stepped out of his embrace. "And maybe it won't be that bad."

"Thank you." He took her hand in his and gave her a brief kiss before he tugged on her fingers. "Let's go. I think our thirty seconds is just about up.

"Fine." he pulled her gently behind him and followed him out of the dining room.

She had to stop letting him do that.

~*~

Clark didn't have any regrets about proposing to Lois or finally making love with her. But it seemed that now it was all he could think about and because of that, he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her either.

And it wasn't about how she'd made him feel or the things she'd gently coaxed him into doing with her that night, after their first time in front of the fire and later in his bed. It was the simple fact that he'd found a more meaningful way to show her how much he loved her and cherished her.

Because he did, deeply.

He also knew that as soon as it was humanly possible he wanted to be standing with Lois, in the living room of his parent's house, slipping a gold band on the third finger of her left hand. And he wanted to watch as her nervous fingers slipped a matching band on the third finger of _his_.

He thought about that as he held Lois' hand in his while they took a walk.

Oliver had called to say that he, Chloe and Jimmy were running late. And while he didn't say as much, Clark thought it might have had something to do with Green Arrow. So Mom had suggested to him and to Lois to get some fresh air while they waited.

'_It's supposed to snow again and you and Lois have been cooped up in the house all day helping me.' She'd said to him. 'So while the weather is holding, why don't you take a walk and stretch your legs. Once Oliver and Chloe and Jimmy get here, I'm going to need your help again."_

Never one to pass up taking a walk around the farm, especially with Lois, Clark helped her with her coat and he received the expected, "I can put my own coat on, Smallville."

But he also received a _'Thank you'_ and kiss on his cheek for his thoughtfulness.

He smiled to himself as he held her gloved hand in his bare on, cursing the cold weather for not being able to feel her warm skin against his. "Clark?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"We should think about setting a date, for the wedding." She closed the meager distance between them, walking with him shoulder to shoulder. "Because I really don't want to have a long engagement."

"Well you did say the sooner the better." He started to laugh and wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was because of where they were when she'd made that declaration. "And since Mom said she'd love to host the wedding, we don't have to worry about where."

"What about the reception?" She asked him. "I mean, we've already decided to keep the guest list short, so it's not like we need a ballroom for the occasion."

"We could have it in the barn." He suggested and got a glare for his trouble.

"Would you be serious." Lois shook her head. "You may be a farm boy, but I'm _not_ having our reception in a barn."

_It was just a thought. _He frowned defensively and she sighed.

"I'm sorry." She grasped his fingers in apology. "I know you're trying to help and I shouldn't have shot you down like that."

"Since we aren't going to have a lot of people at the wedding, we can have it in the front yard if you want to wait until spring." He made another suggestion, unsure if she would go for it. "And if you don't, we can have it in the house."

"Do you _want_ to wait until spring?" Lois stopped him and looked into his eyes.

"I can wait if you want to Lois." He leaned over and kissed her. "You always say how beautiful it is out here when everything starts to bloom. But I also know it's when your allergies start acting up, so I'll leave it up to you."

"I can get some extra strength allergy medication if I have to." She shrugged. "But if we decided to get married before it stopped snowing, we _could_ have a fire in the fireplace and set up a buffet in the dining room."

"We could." He nodded and found himself smiling again.

"What is it?" Lois' look was a little confused.

"Who would have thought five years ago that we'd be standing here, holding hands and planning our wedding." He couldn't hold it in any more and began to laugh because so much had changed between them since then. And it seemed that in spite of herself, Lois began to laugh as well.

"The two most unlikely people in Smallville Kansas." She shook her head.

"But I think it's fair to say that we're the luckiest." Her smile and her laughter warmed him and he kissed her again.

"You won't get an argument out of me." She kissed him back and when he felt her arms slip around his neck, he knew without a doubt that he didn't want to be doing that with her in the middle of the yard.

"Hold on." Clark got his arms around her waist and picked her up. She had a dreamy look on her face that warmed him inside because no other girl had ever looked at him the way she did.

No other girl had ever had his heart the way Lois did.

"Where exactly are we going?" She laughed softly as her gloved fingers caressed the nape of his neck and the sensation of it set his heart racing.

"Barn?" He suggested with a smile.

"Ew, no." She shook her head and he loosened his hold, letting her feet touch the ground.

"Hayloft?"

"That's still the barn, Smallville." She rolled her eyes.

"Just trust me, will you?" He found himself smiling. "It won't be as bad as you think."

"Your sense of romance knows no bounds." She sighed dramatically and kept toying with his hair.

"I don't remember hearing you complain the other night." He couldn't resist reminding her and his face warmed rapidly at the memory. "But I'll never forget how you felt, how _that_ felt."

He was too bashful to put it into words, but he knew Lois understood what he meant when her face went crimson and she swallowed hard. Then just as quickly, she seemed to recover her ability to speak and she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Highlight of your life. I told you it would be."

"But I wasn't in a position to believe you then."

"But you obviously believe me now." She laughed again.

"I do." He nodded and then pulled her close against him.

"Remember those words Clark. They're going to come in handy before you know it."

"And the sooner the better, if you ask me." He quipped as he scanned the living room to make sure Lois' father wasn't standing near the window before he picked her up again.

The coast was clear, so he sped them to the barn before she had the opportunity to protest his recklessness.

_She did it anyway._

"What the hell was that?" She pulled out of Clark's hold and stood back, folding her arms across her chest as she frowned at him.

"I checked before I did anything Lois, so stop worrying." He tried to placate her. "Your dad wasn't anywhere near the window."

"That's not the point and you know it." Her frown deepened. "The whole reason the Red Blue Blur exists is so that people won't know who you are."

"Lois, you're overreacting." Clark sighed because he understood exactly what it was he was saying and how she could take it. "You know that I'm careful and I don't do this to try and show off."

She nodded and let out a sigh of her own. "I just don't want you to end up in a lab someplace where they'll dissect you like a frog."

"Honey, that's not going to happen." He put his hands on her shoulders. "That's the advantage of being a blur, no one can see me. And I plan on keeping it that way."

"Well until we tell Dad about the real you, could you do me one favor and _please_ refrain from using your abilities when he's within a one mile radius?" She requested with another sigh. "I just want him to understand who you are before he sees you lifting a tractor or starting a fire in the fireplace."

When she suddenly smiled and her face flushed, he knew why.

"That's fair." Clark agreed and to his relief, Lois seemed to relax. "As far as he knows at the moment I'm Clark Kent, farmer turned journalist. Nothing more complicated than that."

"Clark, even with all of the things you can do, you're _still_ not that complicated." She smiled at him. "Five years hasn't changed that."

"It's nice to know that you'll always be here to keep me humble." He grinned at her and then began to laugh again at Lois' amused expression.

"Just doing my job, Smallville." She smiled back at him, stifling a laugh as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Now what were you saying earlier about a hayloft?"

"Well since you like to constantly remind me that I'm still a farm boy, I thought I'd do the obvious and invite you up to the hayloft."

"Why?" She put her hands on her hips, trying her best to look serious. "What possible reason could I have for going up there?"

_Life with Lois was always going to be interesting, _and Clark shook his head in amusement. "Because I asked?"

"You have a perfectly good couch up in your loft." She reasoned. "So why don't we just go up there?"

"Because I've never taken a girl up to the hayloft before."

And he never had, _ever_.

"You're the first and only girl I've ever thought about taking up there." He elaborated, wondering why she was stalling him. "Think of it as _ours_."

"I see," Lois nodded. "So you're telling me that you've never had a roll in the hay with _any_ girl and for some reason have decided that the time has come, with _me_."

"Yeah." He frowned in confusion and nodded. Was she telling him no or giving him the green light?

"Well before your mother or my father comes out here to get us, I suggest that you get up that ladder."

_She was giving him the green light. _

"Really?"

"Really, so get moving." She pointed toward the ladder. "Because I've never actually had the experience of necking with a guy in a hayloft before."

"You sure that's all we're going to do?" _He couldn't resist; _especially when Lois' face shaded a deep red.

"With a house full of people, I don't think you'd have the nerve." She challenged him.

"That's just it Lois, they're going to be in the house." Clark volleyed back as he got his arms around her and tried not to smile at her look of surprise. "And we're out here."

"And would you be happy with a quickie in the hay?" He felt her wool covered fingers at the nape of his neck again and a tingling sensation skittered down his spine. "Because after what happened between us the other night, _I_ wouldn't be."

The truth of it was, _he felt the same way._

"Me either." He admitted and found himself offering her an alternative. "But would it be something you'd consider? Maybe when there _isn't_ a house full of people?"

"Just what are you suggesting?" The look of anticipation in her eyes made him smile as he let go of her waist and walked to the ladder leading up to the hayloft, keeping a hold of one of her hands.

"Why don't you get up there and I'll give you a preview." Clark could feel his face warm at the idea.

"Only if you go first." She told him. "After all, _you_ know what you're doing."

"Well considering the last time I was up there, you accused me of throwing hay on you. Are you sure you trust me?"

"Do you plan on throwing hay on me again?"

"That's not what I had in mind." He answered and waited to see what Lois would say.

"I already know what you have in mind Smallville, so stop stalling and get yourself up there."

_He_ was stalling?

Clark tried not to roll his eyes in exasperation. Every time he thought he had her pegged, she did something to show him that he really didn't. And her soft laugh told him that she knew it.

"You make me crazy, you know that." He shook his head and found himself smiling at her as he grasped for one of the rungs.

"I know." She nodded and pressed her lips to his. "And you wouldn't have it any other way."

_He couldn't argue with that._

He clambered up the ladder with a practiced ease and when he looked back down. Lois seemed suitably impressed. "You're very good at that."

"There are a lot of things I'm good at and once you get up here, I'll show you one of them."

"One of the things you're good at is my doing, you know." Her voice traveled up after him. "And one of the _other_ things, as great as it was, will get a lot better with more practice."

"And just how much practice are we talking about?" His heart fluttered at the idea of it.

"A lifetimes worth." She answered back quietly and the look on her face made his heart flutter even harder. He knew she loved him, she proved it to him every day in so many different ways. But the way she was looking at him in that moment, she was a woman who was deeply in love and wanted him to know it.

_How did he get so lucky?_

He got to the top of the ladder and stepped up into the loft. He shrugged out of his coat as he watched Lois grasp a rung near her head and found another with her foot. She seemed to struggle as she moved up with the straight vertical climb and it looked to him as though she was about to lose her balance, but Lois being Lois, she kept going.

As her fingers grasped for the final rung, Clark decided to help her out. He grabbed her firmly by her wrists to haul her up to the landing, not giving her time to think about it until she stood in front of him.

It was then that she realized what he'd just done. "Smallville?"

Without a word he turned her around to show her what he'd planned for them. He pulled her back against him and put his hands on her shoulders to pull her coat off, keeping her body warm with his as he put his arms around her.

"Now in case you hadn't noticed, this is a hayloft." He informed her, his voice low near her ear. "And over there, covered with that blanket, is hay."

"I never would have guessed." She gave him a gentle jab with her elbow and smiled as she pulled her gloves off, tossing them on top of her coat. "So if you've planned a roll in the hay, what's with the blanket?"

"I didn't want you to feel self-conscious in front of our parents going back into the house covered in hay, so that's why I put it there." He brushed his lips against her hair. "I'm just thoughtful that way."

"You're not thoughtful Clark." She answered with a soft laugh. "You're devious."

He grinned and knew it was probably a good thing Lois couldn't see it. "Well that's obvious since I _did_ get you up here."

"Like I said, devious."

"You love it and you know it, so just admit it."

"I admit nothing." Lois shook her head and then turned around in his arms. Her gray eyes gazed into his blue ones until they closed and he kissed her. The softness of her touch and gentleness of her kiss reaffirmed her words and Clark reveled in the feel of her body so close against his.

As she tightened her hold around his neck, one of his hands settled on her back as the other caught her behind her knees and he picked her up.

"I kind of liked what we were doing." Lois pulled away with a frown.

"And I put that blanket on the hay for a reason, or have you forgotten already?" He answered as he carried her to the covered pile and went down on a knee to lay her down. After stretching out next to her, Clark pulled her into his arms. "So what do you think so far?"

"So far I'm not impressed." She deadpanned.

"You're not? Well then, I guess I'll just have to try a little harder." He told her and then without giving her a chance to Reply, he kissed her again.

When he felt her hands grasp his shoulders, pulling him down on top of her, the flutter of his heart ramped into double time and he was helpless to press himself into her warmth and the soft curves of her body that he was just really beginning to know.

And he knew then that he was in serious trouble because he wanted her, and in the very worst way.

~*~

Lois knew that she was tempting fate beyond it's limits when she arched into his body and heard him catch his breath just before she kissed him senseless.

She knew it was a terrible thing to do to him, knowing that they couldn't see anything through just yet.

But she was frustrated because with Clark's mother in the house, he'd refused to give her a repeat performance of what she'd experienced with him just a few short nights earlier.

She understood his hesitance in sleeping with her, but it wasn't as though Mrs. Kent wasn't aware of what they'd done the night she'd stayed in Metropolis.

The fact was, she missed him.

She missed the feel of his warmth and his strength as he held her through the night, brushing his lips in her hair as though to reassure himself that she was still in his arms.

She missed the feel of his body coupled with hers, and it wasn't just because of the physical connection they'd made, but the way he'd made her feel. His gentle touch, his whispers of encouragement and the way he'd listened to her, anticipating what it was that she needed to get to that perfect moment with him.

But at the same time, she'd tried to do what _she_ could to take care of him too. They'd waited for so long to be together and she didn't want him to think that she didn't want him as much as she knew he wanted her.

So she'd taken his body into hers, holding him close to her heart and brushing her trembling fingers across his tense muscles as he'd held back the passion she knew was there.

She'd worried that his concern about hurting her was cheating him of the same experience that he was trying to give her, so she'd coaxed him with soft kisses and the unapologetically insistent lift of her hips against his.

Lois had wanted him to feel that same joy and fulfillment and perhaps be lucky enough to push him far enough over the edge that he'd forget he was Kryptonian and feel that he was nothing more than a man, a human.

"All right you lovebirds, where are you nesting?"

_Ollie?_

Mr. Emerald Chaps was in a hell of a lot of trouble because Lois was about to give him a piece of her mind. But Clark's hand covered her mouth and he silently shook his head, his face red with a blush.

"I've been asked to relay a message. 'You've been out here long enough, so the two of you need to put yourselves together and come back into the house.'" She heard his amused laugh as the sound of his voice retreated ."The clock is ticking and you have five minutes."

She heard the storm door open and then close again. Clark took his hand away and she grabbed his wrist, frowning, "I don't believe it."

"I do." He remarked with a soft smile. "You forget that he called my cell the other night."

"I didn't forget about that Smallville." Lois rolled her eyes, not sure if she liked the idea that Clark was so amused by her ex's audacity. "Ollie is the only guy I know who would have the nerve to pull a stunt like that."

"That's true." He nodded with a laugh as he helped her to sit up. "But at least he didn't interrupt anything,"

"Thinking with our hormones again, are we?" She tried to give him a stern look, but the smile on his face made it impossible.

"And whose fault is that?" Clark stood up, holding his hand out to her. When she took it, he helped her to stand and it was then that Lois felt the sting of the December cold. But less than a moment later, her coat was on and her gloves were in her hand.

"My hero." She quipped as she pulled her gloves on, watching him shrug into his own coat.

"Always, I hope." His face flushed at her words.

"Longer than always Clark." Lois leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Now let's get back to the house before Dad sends my cousin out here."

"I suppose super speed is out of the question." He raised his eyebrows at her in question.

_Don't hold him back Lois._

"I did say a one-mile radius, didn't I?" She asked and Clark nodded. "And you've said that Jimmy suspects something, so that would be another sound reason not to."

He nodded again, waiting for her.

She weighed her fear at his being discovered against asking him to deny who he was and had to remind herself that Clark knew best when and where he could use his abilities.

He'd hidden them for so long, afraid of people finding out and when he finally made the decision to embrace them and use them, she knew that she didn't have the right to tell him that he couldn't.

"Have you scanned the house?" She sighed and put her hands on his arms.

"I have." He caught her worried gaze and grasped her elbows. "And I'll do it again to make sure if you want me to."

"I just want you to be careful."

"I know you do Lois and I promise you that I'm always careful." His voice sounded so reassuring. "And with Jimmy here, I'll really be careful."

"Then get your arms around me and get us out of here." She shrugged, wishing that the nervous fluttering in her stomach would stop.

"I'll get us to the fence and we'll walk to the house." He tipped her chin up. "No one will suspect a thing."

And it was her turn to nod.

"Trust me." His eyes searched hers, looking for her answer.

"I do."

"Remember those words Lois." He grinned at her, brushing a hand across her cheek, throwing her own words back at her. "They're going to come in handy before you know it."

"As if you aren't already counting the days."

"Honey, I'm counting the _hours_." Clark pressed a kiss to her lips as he got his arms around her and picked her up. "Hang on."

"Always." She smiled at him, putting her arms around his neck and felt the strength of his firm hold before she put her head down on his shoulder, waiting for the inevitable sensation of being in a whirlwind.

As he promised, they stopped next to the fence that ran the perimeter of the house and she felt his hand close around her gloved one. She glanced up to see him looking at the living room and indicate with a short nod that the coast was clear.

"You're amazing Smallville."

"Only because _you_ think so." He squeezed her hand and tugged on it as he walked with her to the house.

"You're a sap, too." She shook her head in mock exasperation.

"I know." He chuckled as they stepped up on the porch. "And it's one of the reasons that you love me so much."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"I tell myself every day how lucky I am." He smiled as he opened the front door and waited for Lois to precede him inside. As he closed the door behind them, she saw that Ollie, Chloe and Jimmy were seated in the living room with her father and his mother.

Ollie looked down at his watch before he looked back up at them and grinned. "With a minute to spare. I'm impressed."

_Shut up, Ollie. _

"Well since you kids are back, why don't you get your coats off and we can sit down to dinner." Mrs. Kent stood up and walked toward the kitchen. "Lois honey, if you'd get the potatoes from the back of the stove, I'd appreciate it.

"And Clark, if you'd get the roast out of the oven I'll get the vegetables and Sam can get the wine." She kept walking and dispensing requests as she went.

Lois hoped that some day _she_ would be that organized.

"Is there any thing _we_ can do to help Mrs. Kent?" Lois heard Chloe ask as they trailed after the Kent's and the Lane's.

"Just find your seat and we'll be in in a minute." She answered as she stopped at the stove, standing next to Lois. "Have you and Clark talked about where you'd like to have the reception?"

"We haven't set a date yet, so we're still mulling over reception ideas." She told Clark's mother as she picked up the bowl of potatoes and Mrs. Kent laughed softly.

"Don't you think it would make more sense to set the date first? Then it should make the decision about your reception an easier one."

"I'm still trying to get used to the idea that we're getting married." Lois looked at her future mother in law, knowing she would understand.

"You're not the only one." She heard Clark's voice behind her. "Out of the way, Lane. There's a roast in there that's going to dry out if I don't get it on the table."

"Who are you, Martha Kent?" Lois cocked her head and smiled at him. "Your lovely mother tells me that we should set a date before we try to figure out a place for the reception."

"And I said it was up to you." He returned her cheeky smile with a smirk of his own and as she backed away he opened the oven door. Lois took an appreciative sniff as the smell of the roast wafted out of the oven and a more appreciative view of the man she was going to marry.

_How could she have gotten so lucky?_

She pondered that as they all sat at the table, eating, talking and laughing their way through the meal.

Her father displayed a sense of humor she rarely got to see as he regaled the small group with stories of his experiences as a raw recruit during basic training. Mrs. Kent talked about the first time Mr. Kent had brought her out to the farm to meet his parents and how she and his mother took an instant liking to each other.

Then Ollie recalled how nervous he was the first time he headed up a board meeting of Queen Industries as CEO and how he worried that he wouldn't live up to his father's example.

And while Jimmy chimed in with his first day of working at the _Planet_ and how he'd run into Chloe, who by her own admission was equally stunned, Lois felt Clark's hand cover hers. When she glanced over at him, sitting in his father's place at the head of the table, he was smiling at her.

_Family. _

It was an odd assortment to be sure, but they _were_ still family in their own strange way. And that odd assortment of family finished dinner, cleared the table, did the dishes and settled in the living room for coffee and dessert.

Then after more talk and discussing favorite Christmas Carols, and singing with many of them that were on the radio that evening, the impromptu carolers called it a night.

Ollie took Chloe and Jimmy home with the promise that they would be back the next day to share in gifts and dinner and once again it was down to Lois, Clark and their parents.

It had been decided that the General would stay at the farm that night and was given Clark's room. When the subject first came up, he'd insisted that he could go back to Fort Riley where he'd been billeted. But Mrs. Kent thought it was silly for him to make the two hour drive when he was just going to turn around in a few hours and come back to spend Christmas morning with them.

As a result, Lois ended up sleeping with Clark's mother in her room and he ended up on the couch.

After everyone settled in for the night, she waited for Mrs. Kent to go to sleep so she could go downstairs. She felt awful about sneaking around and didn't know how Clark would like it. But she needed him; she needed to be close to him.

But the older woman surprised her when Lois felt a gentle touch on her arm. "Go downstairs, honey. I know there's someone else you'd rather be sleeping with."

"Mrs. Kent!" She hadn't expected that.

Her gentle laughter warmed Lois's heart. "You and Clark are grown people and you've made a commitment to each other. I don't have the right to say that you can't sleep together if it's what you want."

"And you're okay with that?"

"It's not about what's all right with me, Lois." She deflected the question and Lois decided not to push it. "So go."

"Thank you." She leaned over and kissed her cheek before slipping out of the bed to head for the door with Mrs. Kent's soft laugh and her 'You're welcome', following her into the hallway.

What she didn't expect was to see her father coming out of the bathroom, "Sleepwalking, are we?"

_Great. _

"I'm going downstairs." Was all she would tell him, knowing she didn't need to elaborate because the General wasn't an idiot.

He surprised her though, when he nodded. "I imagine you'll sleep better down there anyway. Goodnight Lo." He said and then stepped back into Clark's room, closing the door behind him.

She hesitated for a moment, feeling uneasy at the ease in which their parents had accepted her change in sleeping arrangements. The question now was, would Clark?

The only way to find out was to go down to the living room.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, the lights were out. The only illumination in the room was from the Christmas tree lights and the fire that Clark had stoked earlier.

She was brought up short though when she found him, not stretched out on the couch as she'd expected, but in front of the fireplace. He'd fashioned a makeshift bed for himself and as she walked further into the room, noticed that there was enough space for two.

He was also, uncharacteristically, shirtless. And Lois couldn't help but wonder if maybe, possibly, he was hoping she would join him.

He was laying on his stomach, arms curled around a pillow and looking into the fire as she quietly got down on her knees and leaned over, kissing his warm shoulder.

"They know you're down here, don't they?" Came Clark's quiet question.

"They do." She moved and kissed him between his shoulder blades, feeling the twitch of his muscles as he tensed.

"Are they okay with it?" His shoulders rose and fell with a sigh before he turned his head to look at her, blue eyes holding a note of uncertainty in them.

"As okay as two parents can be knowing that their kids are sleeping together." Lois trailed her fingers into his hair. "How do _you_ feel about it?"

He answered her by rolling to his side and lifting the blanket, giving her a clear view of the very body she wanted to be so close to and a spot to lie down next to him. "Come on Lois. I won't be able to go to sleep until I've got my arms around you."

He didn't need to tell her twice and she stretched out next to him. He dropped the blanket over her and pulled her against his chest as her arms found their way around his waist. "So what exactly do you have in mind with this little slumber party?"

"_I_ only had sleeping in mind, but if you were thinking of something else I wouldn't object." He nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

"You wouldn't." She laughed softly as she ran her fingers along his spine and he answered by getting his under her shirt and skimming down her skin to the low of her back, causing her to arch reflexively into him.

"Lois?" She looked into his eyes and saw the hesitance in them. "Since we're both here and our parents know it, would it be out of the question if we-" He sighed again. "I've really missed you."

She knew what he meant, but- "Clark, how can you miss me? We work together and live in the same house."

"I've _missed_ you." He made his point by pressing himself into her as he drew her closer against him and his face suddenly flushed.

_Frustration was making him bold. _

So it was up to Lois to get him to think it through."Would you really be comfortable with us doing that with our parents upstairs?"

"Would _you_?" He answered her question with a question of his own and she hesitated for just a moment before nodding her consent; she'd missed him too.

He nodded his understanding as a bashful smile broke across his face, just before he kissed her and she couldn't help but smile.

_Merry Christmas to me._


End file.
